Soap compositions and soap flakes



. tains varying amounts of moisture.

Patented May 6, 1952.

2,595,300 SOAP COMPOSITIONS! AND SOAP FLAKES Leopold Safrin and Frank W. Volz, Philadelphia,

Pa., assignors to Wilson & 00., Inc,, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application December 23, 1950, Serial No. 202,563

The present invention relates to improvements in soap compositions and more particularly in soap flakes.

In the preparation of soap compositions and more particularly of subdivided soap compositions of the character of soap flakes, soap powder, soap granules and the like, the use of builders such as various phosphate and polyphosphate compounds, carbonates, silicates and the like has become common, especially when effective action in hard water is desired. Of these builders, the most effective have been found to be the phosphates and more particularly the pyrophosphates, triphosphates and other polyphosphates. Borates have in general been found not to be satisfactory builders or to give satisfactory performance in hard water. In accordance with the present invention, we are enabled to secure effective, maintained sudsing and detergency in hard water as well as soft water while dispensing with the use of phosphate compounds as builders and as agents for preventing the deleterious effect of the salts present in hard water on the performance of the soap composition. At the same time, in products such as soap flakes, we are enabled to secure a high degree of pliability and elasticity in flakes even of great thinness and to avoid the fragility of such flakes which leads to a high proportion of breakage and dusting in handling. either in the packages or when removed from the packages.

In accordance with the present invention, we employ soap as the major constituent of the composition, suitable soaps being those derived from either animal or vegetable sources. Thus the soaps employed may be those prepared from packing house fats and greases, hydrogenated vegetable, fish or animal oils, tallow, palm oil, coconut oil, or mixtures thereof. The proportion of soap used to the total solids in the soap composition prepared in accordance with our invention, on an anhydrous basis, may vary from 75 to 85%. Together with the soap we incorporate from 5 to 12% of a non-ionic synthetic detergent which is an alkyl-phenol-ether of a polyethylene glycol, as hereinafter more particularly described. We also incorporate from 5 to 18% of anhydrous borax (sodium tetraborate). above proportions are given on an anhydrous basis. The final composition in addition con- Thus, in milled soap flakes, the amount of moisture present may be 5 to in unmilled flakes, the proportion of moisture present may range from 5 to 12%, and in other products, such as soap gran- The 3 Claims. (Cl. 252-109) ules, soap powder and cake soap, the proportion of the moisture present may vary in accordance with the customary practice.

The non-ionic surface active agent which we employ in carrying out our present invention is, as indicated above, an alkyl-phenol-polyethylene glycol ether, also described as an alkyl-phenolpolyoxyethylene-ethanol compound, having the following generalized structural formula:

wherein R is an alkyl group having from 6 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical, Ph is a phenylene group, and n is an integer from 6 to 15. The

compounds having 8 and 9 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and in which n equals 7 to 9 are found to be particularly suitable.

The alkyl radical may be a straight chain or branched chain radical, but in general, due to the method of manufacture, is a branched chain radical or mixture of isomeric radicals. Likewise in commercial compounds, the number of oxyethylene groups indicated is that which predominates in the compound, minor proportions of compounds containing a fewer number and a the number of oxyethylene groups being from 6 to 10. In the commercial product of this description the integer n in the generalized formula above set forth is indicated as 7.

The preparation of a composition in accordance with our present invention may be illustrated in connection with the formation of soap flakes. The final composition will contain 70 to 75% anhydrous soap, 5 to 10% of the synthetic detergent Igepal CO or CA (preferably the for mer) as referred to above and 10% of anhydrous sodium tetraborate. Hot liquid neat soap from the soap kettles is placed in a suitable mixing machine and either anhydrous or the commercial hydrated borax added in the required proportions and thoroughly intermixed in the soap. After the borax has been mixed with the soap, the synthetic detergent, which is liquid, is mixed in to form a homogeneous mixture. The com position is then dried on a conventional soap dryer to the desired moisture content, ranging from 6 to 10%. The resulting dry soap flakes are milled on a milling machine, from which they are taken oif as flakes of the desired thickness, generally from 0.001 to 0.004 inch. If desired the milling operation may be omitted, particularly where the product is intended for use in commercial laundries. In the making of other types of products, the conventional procedures may be employed. Thus, after the thorough intermixture and blending of the soap, detergent and borate are effected with a suitable proportion of water, the material may be spray dried. In the forming of cake soap, the milled flakes may be discharged into aplodder, extruded in bar form and out and molded into cakes in accordance with the conventional procedure.

In the composition of the present invention, the conjoint use of the borax and the non-ionic detergent of the character described imparts to the soap highly desirable properties not secured by the addition of either the detergent or the borax alone. Thus the composition of the present invention is particularly advantageous when used inthe preparation or soap flakes. The flakes, in the customary range of thickness, say from 0.001 to 0.004 inch thick, disperse rapidly in either cold or hot water and also dissolve readily. The flakes are highly translucent and are pliable and ductile, being without the fragility, brittleness and ease of breakage that is customarily found in soap flakes and particularly in soap flakes formed with conventional inorganic builders. Thus, they do not break and form dust or become packed down in handling in the packages, and do not crush or break readily in handling when removed from the packages.

Other advantages of the composition of the present invention are apparent from its performance.

The composition of the present invention, is likewise characterized by its maintenance of its detergency and its sudsing or foaming action when used in the ordinary concentrations for laundering, dish washing and the like, even in very hard water. persion, without precipitation or curd formation, even in water of 400 p, p. m. hardness (calculated as CaCOz). It gives a high degree of suds formation and of detergency in hard Water ranging up to 300 p. p. m. hardness and higher in use in laundering and washing machines, and in dish washing not only shows excellent sudsing ability but also excellent dish washing efficiency for both greasy and protein soil. In all these respects, it is fully comparable and equal in efiectiveness to the heavy duty washing compounds prepared from synthetic detergents with builders such as the polyphosphates.

The compound is also highly effective in maintaining soil dispersion and dispersion of lime and metal soaps and in preventing soil redeposition during laundering, even when very hard waters are employed. In these respects as Well as in its sudsing and detergency properties, the composition very greatly exceeds in its efficiency soaps built or mixed either with borax alone or with the synthetic detergent alone.

The products made in accordance with this invention are found to be mild and much less irritating than pure soap or than most deter- It gives a high degree of dis-.

gents now on the market. In solutions of the concentrations ordinarily used in laundering, dishwashing and the like, say of 0.25 to 0.6%, these products have a pH of the order of 9.2 to 9.3. In use the products do not cause excessive dryness of the skin.

If a bleaching action is desired, a minor proportion of the borax in the composition as here inbefore described, may be replaced by a perborate, say up to 10 to 15% of the amount of the borax. It may likewise be found desirable to include in the composition small proportions, say 0.1 to 1% or somewhat higher, of organic calcium and magnesium sequestering agents, such as the ethylene diamine sodium tetraacetate, and the like.

As is readily apparent, if desired, we may add to the composition minor proportions, say of 0.1 to 0.5% of the customary additives employed in soap and detergents such as luminescent dyes, anticorrosive agents to prevent discoloration of aluminum, carboxymethylcellulose, perfumes and the like.

We claim:

1. A soap composition capable of giving maintained sudsing and detergency in hard water and comprising, on. an anhydrous basis, 75 to 85% soap, 5 to 12% of a non-ionic detergent of the structural formula RPhOCI-IzCHzO-(CI-IzCHzO) nCH2CH2OH wherein R. is an alkyl radical having 8 to 9 carbon atoms, 10% of anhydrous borax and 6 to 10% moisture.

3. Milled soap flakes comprising to anhydrous soap, 5 to 10% of a non-ionic detergent of the structural formula RPhOCHzCI-IzO (CHzCHaO) 7CH2CH2OH wherein R is an alkyl radical having- 8 to 9 carbon atoms, and 10% of borax, said flakes being ductile and elastic and being readily dispersible and soluble in soft. and hard water and capable of giving maintained sudsing and detergency in hard water.

LEOPOLD SAFRIN.

FRANK W. VOLZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,376,096 Snell May 15, 1945 Fox Mar. 6, 1951 

1. A SOAP COMPOSITION CAPABLE OF GIVING MAINTAINED SUDSING AND DETERGENCY IN HARD WATER AND COMPRISING, ON AN ANHYDROUS BASIS, 75 TO 85% SOAP, 5 TO 12% OF A NON-IONIC DETERGENT OF THE STRUCTURAL FORMULA 